Posted on September 10, 2010
Senator Russell Trood, Deputy Chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislative Committee, today called on the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to give immediate effect to the changes which will reinvigorate the parliamentary committee reforms by requiring that all outstanding answers to Questions on Notice for Senate Committees be provided without delay.
Senator Trood pointed out that Questions on Notice from the May/June Senate Estimates hearings for the Senate Finance and Public Administration, and the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committees, were due on the 9 July and 30 July. This means that questions have remained unanswered for two months and six weeks, respectively.
In relation to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Secretary of the Department, Dennis Richardson, admitted that DFAT had a poor record on meeting Committee deadlines and gave assurances that they would “do it within the time frame this time.” To-date the Department has failed to fulfil the Secretary’s undertaking.
The questions as yet unanswered cover issues such as the lack of participation by the former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, in Cabinet’s National Security Committee, the review of the Intelligence Community, the Export Markets Development Grants Scheme, and Defence base security.
Senator Trood said, “the respective agencies have had plenty of time to answer the questions and further delays cannot be justified.”
“While this type of procrastination was typical of the Rudd Government it should not become the precedent for the Gillard Government if greater accountability is to mean anything,” said Senator Trood.
Senator Russell Trood
10 September 2010
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